Journal 7 Duncan Driscoll

The Hobart Shakespearians documentary about Hobart Elementary and a teachers dedication to his classroom is truly inspiring. Rafe the teacher, teaches 5th grader in a very poor area and most of the children in his class have parents as immigrants. Rafe takes teaching to a whole new perspective and point of view. His style is unorthodox and sometimes can lead to his own co workers not liking him. He uses Shakespeare as a lesson for the children to teach them vocabulary, team work, and discipline. He also brings history to them, he believes reading about history is one thing but visiting and seeing it first hand is by far greater. Each year they take 2 trips as a class to a certain monument in history. Rafe even once worked 4 jobs at once to make sure all the kids could go. He said "if the kids at the end of the school year say that was a fun class and he was a cool teacher, he has failed." He does everything in his power to set kids up for future success by giving them the skills they need. Rafe really is a teacher 24/7 and goes above and beyond. In my eyes is an American hero.

A personal goal of mine for next year is to make it to main campus. I know this is going to come with a lot of sacrifices. I will have to say no to hanging out with friends when I need to study, making sure I am on top of all my school work, and not having very much free time. These sacrifices in the moment might not always be the easiest but down the road I hope I can look back and be proud of choices and decisions I made.